diff --git a/src/api/groups.js b/src/api/groups.js
index 1314f6c397..36f11471d2 100644
--- a/src/api/groups.js
+++ b/src/api/groups.js
@@ -171,10 +171,11 @@ groupsAPI.leave = async function (caller, data) {
 		throw new Error('[[error:no-privileges]]');
 	}
 
-	const username = await user.getUserField(data.uid, 'username');
+	const { displayname } = await user.getUserFields(data.uid, ['username']);
+
 	const notification = await notifications.create({
 		type: 'group-leave',
-		bodyShort: `[[groups:membership.leave.notification_title, ${username}, ${groupName}]]`,
+		bodyShort: `[[groups:membership.leave.notification_title, ${displayname}, ${groupName}]]`,
 		nid: `group:${validator.escape(groupName)}:uid:${data.uid}:group-leave`,
 		path: `/groups/${slugify(groupName)}`,
 		from: data.uid,
diff --git a/src/api/users.js b/src/api/users.js
index 9b7b2ba1d1..1803259b39 100644
--- a/src/api/users.js
+++ b/src/api/users.js
@@ -137,9 +137,11 @@ usersAPI.follow = async function (caller, data) {
 	});
 
 	const userData = await user.getUserFields(caller.uid, ['username', 'userslug']);
+	const { displayname } = userData;
+
 	const notifObj = await notifications.create({
 		type: 'follow',
-		bodyShort: `[[notifications:user_started_following_you, ${userData.username}]]`,
+		bodyShort: `[[notifications:user_started_following_you, ${displayname}]]`,
 		nid: `follow:${data.uid}:uid:${caller.uid}`,
 		from: caller.uid,
 		path: `/uid/${data.uid}/followers`,
diff --git a/src/flags.js b/src/flags.js
index b97ecbfeba..60543ae1ce 100644
--- a/src/flags.js
+++ b/src/flags.js
@@ -736,6 +736,9 @@ Flags.notify = async function (flagObj, uid) {
 	]);
 	let uids = admins.concat(globalMods);
 	let notifObj = null;
+
+	const { displayname } = flagObj.reports[flagObj.reports.length - 1].reporter;
+
 	if (flagObj.type === 'post') {
 		const [title, cid] = await Promise.all([
 			topics.getTitleByPid(flagObj.targetId),
@@ -747,7 +750,7 @@ Flags.notify = async function (flagObj, uid) {
 
 		notifObj = await notifications.create({
 			type: 'new-post-flag',
-			bodyShort: `[[notifications:user_flagged_post_in, ${flagObj.reports[flagObj.reports.length - 1].reporter.username}, ${titleEscaped}]]`,
+			bodyShort: `[[notifications:user_flagged_post_in, ${displayname}, ${titleEscaped}]]`,
 			bodyLong: await plugins.hooks.fire('filter:parse.raw', String(flagObj.description || '')),
 			pid: flagObj.targetId,
 			path: `/flags/${flagObj.flagId}`,
@@ -760,7 +763,7 @@ Flags.notify = async function (flagObj, uid) {
 	} else if (flagObj.type === 'user') {
 		notifObj = await notifications.create({
 			type: 'new-user-flag',
-			bodyShort: `[[notifications:user_flagged_user, ${flagObj.reports[flagObj.reports.length - 1].reporter.username}, ${flagObj.target.username}]]`,
+			bodyShort: `[[notifications:user_flagged_user, ${displayname}, ${flagObj.target.user.displayname}]]`,
 			bodyLong: await plugins.hooks.fire('filter:parse.raw', String(flagObj.description || '')),
 			path: `/flags/${flagObj.flagId}`,
 			nid: `flag:user:${flagObj.targetId}`,
diff --git a/src/groups/invite.js b/src/groups/invite.js
index 74b7453c4e..5cabdbdcdf 100644
--- a/src/groups/invite.js
+++ b/src/groups/invite.js
@@ -11,12 +11,13 @@ const notifications = require('../notifications');
 module.exports = function (Groups) {
 	Groups.requestMembership = async function (groupName, uid) {
 		await inviteOrRequestMembership(groupName, uid, 'request');
-		const username = await user.getUserField(uid, 'username');
+		const { displayname } = await user.getUserFields(uid, ['username']);
+
 		const [notification, owners] = await Promise.all([
 			notifications.create({
 				type: 'group-request-membership',
-				bodyShort: `[[groups:request.notification_title, ${username}]]`,
-				bodyLong: `[[groups:request.notification_text, ${username}, ${groupName}]]`,
+				bodyShort: `[[groups:request.notification_title, ${displayname}]]`,
+				bodyLong: `[[groups:request.notification_text, ${displayname}, ${groupName}]]`,
 				nid: `group:${groupName}:uid:${uid}:request`,
 				path: `/groups/${slugify(groupName)}`,
 				from: uid,
diff --git a/src/messaging/notifications.js b/src/messaging/notifications.js
index bd03f2dd48..52fcecce8c 100644
--- a/src/messaging/notifications.js
+++ b/src/messaging/notifications.js
@@ -57,11 +57,13 @@ module.exports = function (Messaging) {
 			return;
 		}
 
+		const { displayname } = messageObj.fromUser;
+
 		const isGroupChat = await Messaging.isGroupChat(roomId);
 		const notification = await notifications.create({
 			type: isGroupChat ? 'new-group-chat' : 'new-chat',
-			subject: `[[email:notif.chat.subject, ${messageObj.fromUser.username}]]`,
-			bodyShort: `[[notifications:new_message_from, ${messageObj.fromUser.username}]]`,
+			subject: `[[email:notif.chat.subject, ${displayname}]]`,
+			bodyShort: `[[notifications:new_message_from, ${displayname}]]`,
 			bodyLong: messageObj.content,
 			nid: `chat_${fromuid}_${roomId}`,
 			from: fromuid,
diff --git a/src/socket.io/helpers.js b/src/socket.io/helpers.js
index c397a43afd..ad3ea3a87f 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/helpers.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/helpers.js
@@ -80,18 +80,20 @@ SocketHelpers.sendNotificationToPostOwner = async function (pid, fromuid, comman
 	if (!canRead || isIgnoring[0] || !postData.uid || fromuid === postData.uid) {
 		return;
 	}
-	const [username, topicTitle, postObj] = await Promise.all([
-		user.getUserField(fromuid, 'username'),
+	const [userData, topicTitle, postObj] = await Promise.all([
+		user.getUserFields(fromuid, ['username']),
 		topics.getTopicField(postData.tid, 'title'),
 		posts.parsePost(postData),
 	]);
 
+	const { displayname } = userData;
+
 	const title = utils.decodeHTMLEntities(topicTitle);
 	const titleEscaped = title.replace(/%/g, '%').replace(/,/g, ',');
 
 	const notifObj = await notifications.create({
 		type: command,
-		bodyShort: `[[${notification}, ${username}, ${titleEscaped}]]`,
+		bodyShort: `[[${notification}, ${displayname}, ${titleEscaped}]]`,
 		bodyLong: postObj.content,
 		pid: pid,
 		tid: postData.tid,
@@ -113,20 +115,23 @@ SocketHelpers.sendNotificationToTopicOwner = async function (tid, fromuid, comma
 
 	fromuid = parseInt(fromuid, 10);
 
-	const [username, topicData] = await Promise.all([
-		user.getUserField(fromuid, 'username'),
+	const [userData, topicData] = await Promise.all([
+		user.getUserFields(fromuid, ['username']),
 		topics.getTopicFields(tid, ['uid', 'slug', 'title']),
 	]);
 
 	if (fromuid === topicData.uid) {
 		return;
 	}
+
+	const { displayname } = userData;
+
 	const ownerUid = topicData.uid;
 	const title = utils.decodeHTMLEntities(topicData.title);
 	const titleEscaped = title.replace(/%/g, '%').replace(/,/g, ',');
 
 	const notifObj = await notifications.create({
-		bodyShort: `[[${notification}, ${username}, ${titleEscaped}]]`,
+		bodyShort: `[[${notification}, ${displayname}, ${titleEscaped}]]`,
 		path: `/topic/${topicData.slug}`,
 		nid: `${command}:tid:${tid}:uid:${fromuid}`,
 		from: fromuid,
diff --git a/src/socket.io/user/profile.js b/src/socket.io/user/profile.js
index 6f0f3b7573..1d65e814ab 100644
--- a/src/socket.io/user/profile.js
+++ b/src/socket.io/user/profile.js
@@ -93,8 +93,9 @@ module.exports = function (SocketUser) {
 		child.on('exit', async () => {
 			await db.deleteObjectField('locks', `export:${data.uid}${type}`);
 			const userData = await user.getUserFields(data.uid, ['username', 'userslug']);
+			const { displayname } = userData;
 			const n = await notifications.create({
-				bodyShort: `[[notifications:${type}-exported, ${userData.username}]]`,
+				bodyShort: `[[notifications:${type}-exported, ${displayname}]]`,
 				path: `/api/user/${userData.userslug}/export/${type}`,
 				nid: `${type}:export:${data.uid}`,
 				from: data.uid,
diff --git a/src/topics/create.js b/src/topics/create.js
index 512e70eda7..0fe4e399e6 100644
--- a/src/topics/create.js
+++ b/src/topics/create.js
@@ -192,9 +192,11 @@ module.exports = function (Topics) {
 		}
 
 		if (parseInt(uid, 10) || meta.config.allowGuestReplyNotifications) {
+			const { displayname } = postData.user;
+
 			Topics.notifyFollowers(postData, uid, {
 				type: 'new-reply',
-				bodyShort: translator.compile('notifications:user_posted_to', postData.user.username, postData.topic.title),
+				bodyShort: translator.compile('notifications:user_posted_to', displayname, postData.topic.title),
 				nid: `new_post:tid:${postData.topic.tid}:pid:${postData.pid}:uid:${uid}`,
 				mergeId: `notifications:user_posted_to|${postData.topic.tid}`,
 			});
diff --git a/src/user/notifications.js b/src/user/notifications.js
index b7be8262d0..57617cc5d5 100644
--- a/src/user/notifications.js
+++ b/src/user/notifications.js
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ UserNotifications.sendTopicNotificationToFollowers = async function (uid, topicD
 
 		const notifObj = await notifications.create({
 			type: 'new-topic',
-			bodyShort: `[[notifications:user_posted_topic, ${postData.user.username}, ${title}]]`,
+			bodyShort: `[[notifications:user_posted_topic, ${postData.user.displayname}, ${title}]]`,
 			bodyLong: postData.content,
 			pid: postData.pid,
 			path: `/post/${postData.pid}`,